Disposable headrest cover

ABSTRACT

This disposable headrest cover for use on airplanes, or train seats and the like, is held in place by a pressure-sealing adhesive that sticks to the upholstery of the seat. In order to prevent covers from sticking to each other when stacked prior to use, there is a release agent on the area of the front of each cover in position to contact with the area of the pressuresealing adhesive on the back of the next adjacent cover in the stack. This eliminates the necessity of having a release strip over the pressure-sealing adhesive area and does away with the inconvenience of having to strip each cover before using it and having to collect the release strips for disposal.

0 ,1 United States Patent [151 1 1 Mpert 1 Jan, t, W7

[54] DISPOSABLE HEADREST COVER 3,318,632 5/1967 Struble 6: al ..297 220 3,394,799 7/1968 Ritson et a1 ..l6l/l67 [721 Invent prmcetmr 3,5l6,842 6/1970 Klinker et al. 161/406 [73] Assignee: Blessings, lnc., Bound Brook, NJ.

Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay [22] Flled: P 6, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marquette [21] AppL No; 25,865 AttorneySandoe, Hopgood 8L Calimafde [57] ABSTRACT 52 U.S. Cl .197 220 Em Ml-7c This disposable headrest cover for use on airplanes, or train [58] Hell! I 297/221 [61/164 167 seats and the like, is held in place by a pressure-sealing adhe 6 sive that sticks to the upholstery of the seat. In order to prevent covers from sticking to each other when stacked prior [56] References Cited to use, there is a release agent on the area of the front of each cover in position to contact with the area of the pressure-scab UNITED STATES PATENTS ing adhesive on the back of the next adjacent cover in the stack. This eliminates the necesslty of having a release strip 2,068,571 1/1937 Rotner ..297/22l over the prassure sealing adhesive area and does away with 2,334,585 11/1943 schlema" 161/167 the inconvenience of having to strip each cover before using it 1 135 51 32 S s l and having to collect the release strips for disposal. 3,113, 3 l l 3 tru eeta.... 3,236,677 2/1966 Bradstreet ..l6l/l67 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PMENTEU JAN Y 8 INVENTOR AT TOR NEYS.

DISPOSABLE HEADREST COVER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is common practice to use headrest covers on airplanes seats and to replace them after each flight. Disposable covers are used to save laundry costs, and it is important that the connection of the cover to the seats, and their removal from the seats be done quickly to save time and labor.

This invention connects the headrest covers to the backs of the seats by pressure-sealing adhesive over an area of the back and near the top of each headrest cover. While this is a convenient and inexpensive way to attach headrest covers, and to make them easily removable for replacement, a practical problem was presented in protecting the adhesive from sticking to other things, particularly other headrest covers, while stored preparatory to use. Release strips of pressuresealing adhesive have been used with other devices, but the labor of gathering together in an airplane cabin of so many small strips for disposal, adds an increase in labor that makes headrest covers with release strips unacceptable to the airlines.

This invention utilizes each headrest cover as the release strip for the headrest cover behind it when the covers are stacked together. An area near the top of the front surface of each cover is treated so that the pressure-sealing adhesive on the confronting surface of the back of the next cover in the stack will not adhere to it. The nonadherent area is preferably made somewhat greater in both height and width than the area of the pressure-sealing adhesive to compensate for misalignment of the cover in a stack, especially when a stack is canted so that the covers are no longer normal to the axis of the stack.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing, forming a part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic view of an airplane seat with a headrest cover of this invention attached to the seat;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, front view of the headrest cover shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4l4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the back of the headrest cover shown in other views:

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a stack of the headrest covers of this invention with the upper portion of the stack canted; and

FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary, sectional view of some of the headrest covers of FIG. 7 andshowing the effect of canting on the positions of the confronting faces of adjacent covers.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows an airplane seat having a base 12- secured to the floor 14 in an airplane cabin. The seat has a seat portion 16, arm rests l8, and a back 20. A headrest cover 22 is attached to the upper part of the back 20.

FIG. 2 shows the back with a frame 24 covered by the cushioning 28 and with the upholstery 26 applied as a permanent cover over the cushioning 28. There is a seat cover 30 over the permanent upholstery 26. Y

The headrest cover 22 is placed over the seat cover 30 but in cases where there is no seat cover 30, the headrest cover is applied directly to the permanent upholstery 26.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the headrest cover 22. It is preferably made of unwoven fabric so as to keep the cost as low as practical. It is soft and pliant and preferably 2 I somewhat absorbent. For more attractive appearance, the preferred construction has ridges 32 molded or embossed on the front surface. This decoration of the front surface has the additional advantage that it makes the front of the headrest cover easily distinguished from the back so that attendants placing the covers on the seats will not attempt to put them on backwards. While the decoration on the front surface also shows on the back surface, particularly if it is an embossing,

the appearance from the back is distinctly differentfrom the view on the cover from the front.

FIG. 4 shows the upper part of the headrest cover 22, the thickness being greatly exaggerated in order to permit section lining, The material of the headrest cover, preferably unwoven fabric 36, is coated over an area of its back surface with pressure-sealing adhesive 40. This area of adhesive 40 is located near the top 42 of the cover 22 and may extend all the way to the top. However, it is preferable to have the area of adhesive 40 terminate slightly below the top 42 so that when the cover is applied to a seat, the upper end of the cover projects slightly above the adhesive and hides the adhesive.

The area of the adhesive 40 can extend across the full width of the over 22 and for some methods of manufacturing the seat covers, it is necessary to have the adhesive 40 extend for the full width of the cover 42. However, in the preferred construction shown in FIG. 5, the area of adhesive 40 terminates short of the side edges of the cover 22 so that the side edge portions of the cover hide the adhesive area when the cover is applied to the seat. Also, the termination of the adhesive 40 short of the side edges has the advantage that the adhesive does not come in contact with the knife that cuts separate covers from the web from which the covers are made.

Pressuresensitive adhesives such as sold in hardware stores for securing sanding discs to electric drill pads can be used. Also a pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive, such as Stein Hall & Company No. LHM 922 can be used for this invention.

If the pressure-sealing adhesive 40 is applied as a fairly thick layer and the adhesive used, is one which is quite sticky, it is not necessary to have the adhesive 40 applied over a continuous area, as shown in FIG. 5. Small localized areas of pressuresealing adhesive 40', as shown in FIG. 15, can be used over the adhesive area 42 on the back of seat cover 22'. The expression adhesive area" as used herein denotes the entire area of a continuously applied adhesive 40, such as shown in FIG. 5, or an area circumscribed by lines joining the outer limits of localized areas 40, as shown by the dotted lines defining area $2 in FIG. 6.

0n the front of each headrest cover 22 there is an area of release material 44 (FIG. 4). This release material may be a silicone or any other material which is smooth and to which the pressure-sealing adhesive will not stick. The release material 44 is preferably a transparent material which can be sprayed or otherwise applied to the front of the headrest cover 22 without changing the color of the seat cover and without changing the appearance of the surface at the top of the headrest cover. The amount of release material 44 applied to the front of the headrest cover 22 is preferably insufficient to make the surface shiny so that the front surface of the cover 22 is preferably the same in appearance over the entire front area.

Various available release agents can be used, such as a poly dimethyl siloxane dispersion. 44 must be at least as great as the adhesive area on the back of the cover 22. In the preferred construction, the area covered by the release material 44 extends beyond the area of adhesive in all directions for a short distance, for reasons which will be explained in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8.

' FIG. 7 shows a stack 46 of headrest covers 22 on a support 48 which may be a pallet or bottom of a box or any other support on which the headrest covers are stacked in storage preparatory to use. In FIG. 7 the stack 46 was originally placed against a vertical wall 50 but in removing headrest covers from he top of the stack, it is quite often that those remaining on the stack will be canted to one side, as shown in FIG. 7.

Such canting of a'stack changes the relative positions of the area covered by the release material 44.

FIG. 8shows this shift in relation of the confronting areas. The headrest covers 22a and 22b are in alignment with one another and the 'area covered by the adhesive 40 is centered under the area of material 44. As a result of the canting of the stack 46, theheadrest cover 220 is shifted toward the right in F108 and the area of release 'material 44 is shifted to the right with respect to the adhesive 40, If the area of the release material 44 were of the same extent as the area of adhesive 40, the adhesive would extend beyond the left-hand edge of the release material 44 on the cover 22c and would stick to the cover 22c. This cannot happen, however, because of the fact that the area of the release material 44 extends beyond the area covered by adhesive 40 in all directions. The covers cannot stick together no matter in which direction the stack is canted.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a seat having an upholstered back, the upper portion of which constitutes a headrest for a person occupying the seat, of a first headrest cover, the upholstery being free of any mechanical means for connecting the said cover to the back of the seat, said first headrest cover comprising a disposable pliant sheet having a back surface with a pressure sealing adhesive covering an attachment area which constitutes a part and only a part of the upper portion of said back surface, the pressure sealing adhesive being a material that removably sticks the cover the upholstery, a coating on a part and only a part of the upper portion of has been inserted after the front of the first headrest cover of an area at least as great in extent and in position to register with the area of pressure sealing adhesive on the back of a second headrest cover, like the first headrest cover, when said headrest covers are registered with one another in front-to-back relation, the coating on the front of each headrest cover being a release material that preventsthe individual headrest covers from adhering to one' another, and other replacement headrest covers like said first and second headrest covers and stacked in register with one another at a location remote from the back of said seat.

2. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pressure-sensitive adhesive covering a continuous area across most of the width of the headrestcover, the width of the adhesive area being between one quarter inch and one inch in extent in the direction of the height of the headrest cover, and the adhesive area terminating short of the top edge of the-headrest cover whereby no adhesive is visible from the top of the headrest cover when the cover is attached to the back of a seat.

3. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pressure-sensitive adhesive being located in local areas dispersed over the attachment area.

4. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the release area being of greater extent than the adhesive area in the direction of the top-to-bottom extent of the headrest cover.

5. The headrest cover described in claim 4 characterized by the release area being of greater extent than the adhesive area in all directions whereby shifting of a stack of headrest covers leaves each adhesive area facing a part of the release area of the next adjacent headrest cover.

6. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the surface of the release area being coated with a release material that is transparent so that the release area is of the same color as the adjoining surface of the front of the headrest cover.

7. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the release area being of the same color as the adjoining surface of the front of the headrest cover.

8. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pliant sheet being an unwoven fabric coated on the attachment area with a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, andcoated on the release area with a silicone.

v UNITED STATES PATENT oTTTcE CERTIFICATE OF COECHON Patent No. 3 635 523 Dated January 18 1972 Robert J. Alpert Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 62, before "44" insert The area covered by the release material Column 3, line 34, before "the" insert to line 35, cancel "has been inserted after".

Signed and sealed this 24th day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.PLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-IO50 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 603764 69 u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: [989 0-366-334, 

1. The combination with a seat having an upholstered back, the upper portion of which constitutes a headrest for a person occupying the seat, of a first headrest cover, the upholstery being free of any mechanical means for connecting the said cover to the back of the seat, said first headrest cover comprising a disposable pliant sheet having a back surface with a pressure sealing adhesive covering an attachment area which constitutes a part and only a part of the upper portion of said back surface, the pressure sealing adhesive being a material that removably sticks the cover the upholstery, a coating on a part and only a part of the upper portion of has been inserted after the front of the first headrest cover of an area at least as great in extent and in position to register with the area of pressure sealing adhesive on the back of a second headrest cover, like the first headrest cover, when said headrest covers are registered with one another in front-to-back relation, the coating on the front of each headrest cover being a release material that prevents the individual headrest covers from adhering to one another, and other replacement headrest covers like said first and second headrest covers and stacked in regIster with one another at a location remote from the back of said seat.
 2. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pressure-sensitive adhesive covering a continuous area across most of the width of the headrest cover, the width of the adhesive area being between one quarter inch and one inch in extent in the direction of the height of the headrest cover, and the adhesive area terminating short of the top edge of the headrest cover whereby no adhesive is visible from the top of the headrest cover when the cover is attached to the back of a seat.
 3. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pressure-sensitive adhesive being located in local areas dispersed over the attachment area.
 4. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the release area being of greater extent than the adhesive area in the direction of the top-to-bottom extent of the headrest cover.
 5. The headrest cover described in claim 4 characterized by the release area being of greater extent than the adhesive area in all directions whereby shifting of a stack of headrest covers leaves each adhesive area facing a part of the release area of the next adjacent headrest cover.
 6. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the surface of the release area being coated with a release material that is transparent so that the release area is of the same color as the adjoining surface of the front of the headrest cover.
 7. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the release area being of the same color as the adjoining surface of the front of the headrest cover.
 8. The headrest cover described in claim 1 characterized by the pliant sheet being an unwoven fabric coated on the attachment area with a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, and coated on the release area with a silicone. 